By Fox23.com News Staff
TULSA, Okla. — Tulsa Parks celebrated the grand opening of the new inclusive playground at Hicks Park.
We reported when Tulsa Parks announced the construction of the inclusive playground in May.
CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO OF THE RENDERING
The playground was able to be built through a $785,000 donation from the Sanford & Irene Burnstein Family Foundation.
“This project shows what we can accomplish when we bring people together,” shared Tulsa Parks Director Anna America. “We worked closely with the Accessibility Advisory Committee, the Burnstein Family Foundation, our design team, and Tulsa families to create intentionally inclusive playgrounds that support children who use mobility aids, experience sensory sensitivities, or process the world differently. It’s a true reflection of our values as a city.”
The playground features adaptive swings, ground-level play features, a wheelchair accessible We-Go-Round, sensory-rich features, quiet/parallel play areas and a central tower with a net system and saddle climbers that helps children with different physical abilities reach the playground’s slides.
ACS Playground Adventures collaborated with the City and its community partners to bring the inclusive tower to the playground.
“ACS Playground Adventures is excited to bring Volo Aire to Oklahoma—the first of its kind in the state,” said Kristin Seifried with ACS Playground Adventures. “Volo Aire is a three-story tower that is fully accessible to the top and surrounded by a wide range of inclusive play equipment. We are proud to continue our partnership with the City of Tulsa, the Burnstein Foundation, and community leaders to deliver unique play opportunities that people of all abilities can enjoy.”
The City said construction on a fence surrounding the playground is set to be completed in January.
The project will also include improved sidewalks, updated parking and renovated restrooms to help expand accessibility at the City’s parks.
The City is also working on an inclusive playground at Bales Park, which will include Tulsa’s first wheelchair accessible softball field.
